Lonesome Rhodes, Will Stockade, and Andy Taylor

Corruption rooted in ego, fame, and power forms the foundation for A Face in the Crowd, a 1957 film; Budd Schulberg wrote the screenplay based on his short story The Arkansas Traveler. Andy Griffith stars as Lonesome Rhodes, a country bumpkin discovered by television...

Thursdays at 10

For nearly 30 years, from 1981 to 2009, NBC defined quality television programming in the 10:00 p.m. time slot.  Hill Street Blues debuted in 1981 and changed the production of television drama. Story lines became story arcs, lasting several episodes.  Moving cameras...

Lou’s on First

A statue of Lou Costello stands in Paterson, New Jersey.  It is a reminder of the comedian’s love for his hometown, often referenced by Costello in his performances with Bud Abbott.  Titled “Lou’s on First,” the statue, which Paterson unveiled...

The Doctors Are In

When City Hospital premiered in 1952, it set off the medical genre for prime time television.  Naturally, shows about medical implications offer drama that, in the right hands, captivate audiences. St. Elsewhere followed the model of Hill Street Blues by using story...

The Comedy and Tragedy of Bob Crane

Bob Crane became a television icon with his starring role in Hogan’s Heroes, a comedy set in a POW camp in Germany during World War II. Hogan’s Heroes aired for six years on CBS—from 1965 to 1971—enthralling viewers with missions to help the French...